1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a conveyor provided with a frame and with an endless conveying element, which can be moved in its longitudinal direction by driving means during operation and which is provided with interconnected carriers, which are pivotable with respect to each other about upwardly extending pivot axes, while the carriers are guided by means of guide wheels coupled to said carriers, which during operation roll on guide rails connected to the frame.
2. Discussion of the Background
A conveyor of this type is for example known from European Patent Applications Nos. 0 626 324 and 0 628 502. These known conveyors are satisfactory per se in practice, but in certain cases a better guidance and support of the carriers may be desirable.
According to the invention this may be accomplished in that said carriers are near their ends provided with guide wheels, which are rotatable about axes of rotation extending parallel to said pivot axes, while a pivot axis, about which a carrier is pivotable with respect to the adjacent carrier, lies at least substantially in one plane with the axes of rotation extending parallel to said pivot axis of the guide wheels provided on said adjacent carrier.
By arranging the pivot axis about which a carrier is pivotable with respect to the adjacent carrier in one plane with the axes of rotation of the guide wheels guiding said adjacent carrier and rolling on guide rails, movement of the pivot axis in question in a direction transverse to the longitudinal direction of the guide rails is prevented. In fact the position of the pivot axis of a carrier as well as the position of the guide wheels connected to said carrier, which guide wheels are rotatable about axes of rotation extending parallel to said pivot axis, with respect to the rails co-operating with the respective guide wheels are fixed. Therefore, undesirable oscillating movements of a carrier about an upwardly extending axis are prevented.
When, according to another aspect of the invention, guide rollers being rotatable about axes of rotation crossing the pivot axes at least substantially perpendicularly are provided near the sides of a carrier, near the guide wheels provided on the carrier in question, which guide wheels are provided in such a manner as to be rotatable about axes of rotation extending parallel to said pivot axes, oscillating movement of a carrier about an axis extending transversely to the longitudinal direction of the endless conveying element is also prevented in an effective manner.
All this leads to a stable support of the carriers and also to a steady movement of the carriers, which is conducive to a controlled transport of the goods to be conveyed by the conveyor.